


if i die young

by MaddieandChimney



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [3]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Gen, and mentions of gun shots, trigger warnings for mentions of blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:28:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27888298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaddieandChimney/pseuds/MaddieandChimney
Summary: Bad Things Happen Bingo: "Going into shock".Buck isn't meant to be facing the reality that he could lose his sister and his brother-in-law in one night. His niece needs her parents. He needs them.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Maddie Buckley
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1937749
Comments: 4
Kudos: 31
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales





	if i die young

“Hey, Maddie, keep your eyes open for me, okay?”

Buck can’t help but remember the last time he’d said those words to her, how she’d blinked and then looked at him with wide eyes as though she was really struggling but fighting so hard to stay with him. This time, he has to reach forward to shake her shoulder, squeezing tightly, maybe a little too tightly out of fear he’s about to lose the only family he has. The words get stuck in his throat because he wants to tell her that she promised she wouldn’t leave him again. But there’s more than just him to leave now and if she doesn’t open her eyes, her daughter very much faces the reality of losing both her parents tonight if Chimney doesn’t make it, too.

“Maddie, hey—you’re going to be okay and Chimney, he’s gonna be okay too but I need you to keep your eyes open for me.” He’s quick to shake his head, “No, not just for me, okay? I need you to think of Amelia, I need you to think of Chimney and yeah, you know what, I need you to think about me, too because I don’t want to do any of this without my big sister, do you understand?” His voice is trembling but her eyes are open and it’s all he can ask for right then when he moves his hand down to hers, squeezing gently, trying to ignore the blood that coats her arms and her face.

“There we go,” The smile he forces onto his face is probably the most difficult thing he’s ever had to do. She’s pale, too pale beneath the drying blood and all he can hear is the rapid beating of the machine that reminds him that she’s still there but the fear on the paramedic’s face is enough to cause _his_ pulse to race when he’s looking at his sister. “it’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay.” It feels like a lie, even though it shouldn’t because Maddie is the strongest person he’s ever know and Chimney, too. They’d both survived a lot worse than this. His brother-in-law had a piece of rebar through his skull, he’d been stabbed and Maddie had gone through hell and back with Doug and they both fought. Now they had _so_ much to live for, so much to look forward to.

A gun shot had nothing on them, right?

Buck gulps down the lump in his throat, the tears falling down his own pale cheeks as he shakes his head. The trauma was still there from finding Chimney on the ground almost three years ago, that would always linger in the back of his mind and now—now it had to be replaced by the sound of a gun shooting outside of Maddie and Chimney’s house and finding them, knowing that their six month old daughter was right inside. He was meant to be babysitting so they could have their first night out together since she had given birth. They were on their way home after barely an hour and a half away from their little girl because it was all too much and Maddie had practically been crying on the phone when she could hear the baby crying in the background.

She’d just wanted to come home and hold her baby and now…

He tries to shake it off because it’s not going to happen. Despite her rapid, shallow breathing and her clammy skin, and the way she’s looking at him as though she knows he’s there but she doesn’t really _know_ what’s going on around her. He can see her eyes trying to close again, causing him to squeeze her hand that much tighter. “We’re almost there, we’ll be at the hospital soon and Chimney was right behind us.” He tries not to think about how he’d had to scream for help because he couldn’t try and stem the bleeding for both of them at the same time and they both meant the world to him. More importantly, they both meant the world to his niece and he would do _anything_ to make sure she grew up with the two people who adored her as much as her parents did. Despite their childhood and despite Chimney’s dad, they were amazing parents.

“I love you, Mads.” It sounds like he’s saying goodbye, even he can hear it in his voice, listening to her laboured breathing as he tries not to burst into tears. “Do you know who did this?” He can’t stop himself from asking, even though it’s not the first time and she hadn’t answered him before. His hand letting go of hers to press against her forehead as he brushes some of her hair from her clammy forehead. “Did you know them?”

Her face is as pale as the sheets beneath her, her eyes glazing over, completely void of any of that joy and love he’d seen in them just a few hours before when Chimney was practically pulling her out of the door as she reiterated the instructions for the hundredth time over as though he’d never looked after a baby before. God, he wishes they had never left, that she had somehow managed to convince Chimney to cancel date night… he wishes she hadn’t wanted to come back when she did because maybe things could be different. Maybe it was random, maybe it was an accident, maybe—

“V-Vincent.”

He knows that name, he’s heard it before, more than once. The last time had been in the waiting room of a hospital when his sister had saved his life. He gulps, trying not to let the anger overcome him, not when she needs him, not yet. “Y-you’re going to be okay.” He finally manages to stammer out as though her eyes aren’t closing, as though her breathing isn’t sounding more laboured by the second.

“Just two minutes out.” The paramedic tries to assure him, but it doesn’t help when he’s staring into the ghostly pale face of his sister, the panic setting in when he can’t see those brown eyes anymore and her head lulls to the side.

“No-no, Maddie… Maddie. Keep your eyes open for me, Maddie, open your eyes.”


End file.
